Bloomington 2003

The Bloomington Symposium was a smorgasbord of delightful dishes. The wait staff included the organized and efficient IU horn students; the master chef was Rick Seraphinoff, who planned and executed the menu with grace and wizardry. The legacy of Philip Farkas and his successors, Michael Hatfield, Myron Bloom, and Rick Seraphinoff, representing perhaps the leading American University horn department of the twentieth century, were naturally featured during the Symposium.

Each day was packed with offerings, sometimes two at a time, and every one a gem. Amateurs, students, professionals, teachers, and other interested parties could choose to attend several sessions or none, while they tested horns, purchased music, or just “hung out.” Because meals were not offered in one location, informal interaction between participants and artists was limited but overcome by those who chose to do so!

For each hornist that attended there were highlights. To ask any participant to name those events would result in a list of most of the offerings, from the early warm-up or yoga sessions through the master classes, lectures, performances by university teachers and orchestral players, university and area horn choir performances, to the evening artist recitals. The Camerata Orchestra that accompanied soloists for (not one but) two evenings, did an extraordinary job with a diverse, challenging, and sometimes obscure horn repertoire. Kudos to the orchestra and their conductor, Paul Gambill.

If you were there, it was an experience of a lifetime. If you love the horn but missed this one, please consider attending the next and the next and the next...